Aliaksandr Yarashuk met with the Minister of Labour of Austria

On March 21, during a visit to Vienna, Aliaksandr Yarashuk, President of the Belarusian Congress of Democratic Trade Unions (BKDP), met with Korinna Schumann, Austria’s Minister of Labour.

Korinna Schumann and Aliaksandr Yarashuk

During the discussion, Yarashuk expressed his gratitude to the Austrian government for its consistent support of independent trade unions within the ILO, where Article 33 of the ILO Constitution was invoked in response to the blatant violations of trade union rights in Belarus. The Minister expressed her admiration and support for the work that Yarashuk and his union colleagues continue in exile.

The parties discussed concrete steps the Austrian government can take to further support independent trade unions. One of the key initiatives is to organise a tripartite meeting between the government, trade unions, and the employers’ organisation to discuss actions in line with the ILO Resolution on Belarus.

Korinna Schumann reaffirmed Austria’s support for Belarusian independent unions at the ILO level, especially at a time when the Belarusian government continues its attempts to discredit the ILO’s decision.

The Austrian government continues to stand firmly on the side of a free and democratic Belarus.

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